This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Bets Today: Expert NHL Picks and Props for Hurricanes vs. Oilers
The Carolina Hurricanes (14-9-1) travel to meet the Edmonton Oilers (9-12-1) at Rogers Place on Wednesday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed on TNT.
The Hurricanes kicked off the six-game road trip with a 2-1 setback on Monday night in Winnipeg. Carolina has alternated losses and wins in the past four games. The one-goal performance against the Jets was shocking, as Carolina had scored three or more goals in four straight outings. The Canes also had averaged 3.8 goals per game across the past eight contests, including a 6-3 win in the first meeting with the Oilers on Nov. 22 in Raleigh.
That loss in North Carolina seemed to serve as a wake-up call for the Edmonton offense, as the Oilers have won four straight games since that setback, outscoring the opposition by a 21-7 count, cashing as the favorite in each game, while cashing against the puck line in three of those outings.
Carolina is projected to start Antti Raanta (6-4-0, 3.33 GAA, .859 SV%, 1 SO), and that might be good news for potential backers of Edmonton. Raanta was on the short end in Winnipeg, allowing just two goals on 22 shots, and he was the victim of no offensive support. However, he was pounded for eight goals on just 14 shots against the Tampa Bay Lightning in his most recent action before that on Nov. 24.
Raanta actually started against the Oilers on Nov. 22, allowing a goal on eight shots in the first period, but he left due to precautionary reasons for an undisclosed injury. Pyotr Kochetkov finished up in relief for the final two periods, and never relinquished the lead, so Raanta got the win.
The Oilers are expected to counter with Stuart Skinner (8-7-1, 3.16 GAA, .881 SV%, 1 SO). He was pulled just 5:12 into the first period, as Carolina pounded him for four goals. Jesper Fast, Jack Drury, Teuvo Teravainen and Seth Jarvis got to Skinner for goals, sending him to the showers early.
Zach Hyman scored a power-play goal with an even-strength goal in the first meeting, and Mattias Ekholm had a shorthanded goal in that outing.
The Hurricanes have won four of the past five meetings, with the Over hitting in three straight in the series. The winning team has notched six or more goals in each of the past three, with Carolina taking two of those outings. Edmonton has been hot lately, and it should get revenge on home ice against the Canes.
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NHL Puck Line Bets for Hurricanes vs. Oilers
- Oilers ML (-110 ESPN BET)
Looking to the total, it's a good idea to go high here. Again, the Over has cashed in three straight meetings in the series, including the first meeting on Nov. 22. In fact, we had a total of five goals in the first period of that game.
The Over has cashed in six of nine games against Western Conference teams for the Hurricanes, including a 5-1 mark in six road contests out west.
Carolina ranks No. 8 in the NHL with 3.4 goals per game (GPG) while ranking No. 1 in shots on goal (SOG) with 34.5 per game. Defensively, the Canes allow 3.2 GPG to rank No. 17, and the penalty kill is just No. 21 at 77.2%.
Edmonton ranks No. 11 with 3.3 GPG, and the power play hits at a 26.0% mark to check in No. 5. It allows 3.7 GPG to rank No. 29, and the penalty kill is a dismal 78.6% to rank No. 20. That's a great recipe for plenty of Overs. The Over has hit in six of the past eight games overall for the Oil.
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NHL Totals Bets for Hurricanes vs. Oilers
- Over 6.5 (-128 at FanDuel)
NHL Player Props for Hurricanes vs. Oilers
Looking to the props, we'll take a player from each side for an anytime goal. That's simple, and to the point, and we'll get plenty of goal scorers in this potentially high-scoring affair.
Hurricanes pivot Martin Necas, the 24-year-old from Nove Mesto na Morave, Czechia, accounted for the only goal in Winnipeg as the Canes kicked off the road trip. He is working on a three-game point streak, too, serving as one of the most consistent offensive forces lately. Necas got on the board in the first meeting, scoring on relief goaltender Calvin Pickard.
For a chance to more than double up, Necas is certainly worth a roll of the dice.
- Martin Necas Anytime Goal Scorer (+240 at FanDuel)
For the home side, Oilers forward Zach Hyman notched a pair of goals against the Hurricanes in the first meeting, and at plus-money he is a solid bet. He had a power-play goal, and an even-strength goal, beating both Raanta and Kochetkov. Hyman has scored eight goals with 13 points across the past nine games, too.
- Zach Hyman Anytime Goal Scorer (+170 at FanDuel)
